This invention relates to video systems, and more particularly, to navigation in interactive television program guide systems.
Cable, satellite, and broadcast television systems provide viewers with a large number of television channels. Viewers have traditionally consulted printed television program schedules to determine the programs being broadcast at a particular time. More recently, interactive electronic television program guides have been developed that allow television program information to be displayed on a viewer's television.
Interactive program guides allow users to access television program listings in different display formats. For example, a user may desire to view a grid of program listings organized in a channel-ordered list. Alternatively, the user may desire to view program listings organized by time, by theme (movies, sports, etc.), or by title (i.e., alphabetically ordered). Other program guide options allow the user to set favorite channels, program a videocassette recorder, set an automatic timed reminder, or order pay-per-view movies. Numerous other program guide options are generally available in a typical interactive program guide.
Program guide options are presented to the user through a series of linked menus. The user makes menu selections by pressing an “enter” or “select” button on a remote control. However, because so many program guide options are typically available, interactive program guide menu structures have many nested layers and are quite complex. As a result, the user may have difficulty navigating through the menu structure of the guide without becoming confused.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an interactive television program guide with an improved logical structure that facilitates navigation through the guide.